which resort is best for september honeymoon, 29/28 yrs old

Hi, Can you please tell me which couples resort is the best?
Factors I'm considering include:
-best beach (want something big with lots of chairs, not too crowded, or too close to other hotels.)
-nice big pool(s)
-rooms (prefer room service so we can have breaskfast in bed!)
-variety of restaurants and quality of food
-entertainment (don't want toooo much, but would like the option of a show or two)
-bars
-proximity to airport (don't want to drive tooooo far or too long)
-proximity/inclusion of excursions (we'd like to get off the resort at least once for some kind of excursion.) We're very happy to just be on the beach, go swimming, enjoy each other's company, drink/eat great food and enjoy the sunsets.

Loaded Question!

That is a loaded question, but the answer is: any/all are great for honeymoons! Since they are all couples-only, they all are great. I had the same question (we are 44/42 but act much younger!), and we chose Sans Souci because we heard that it was the most romantic. I think we made a terrific choice - we LOVED it!
I'm booking today for 2012 to get the $300 resort credit, and am torn between going back to Sans Souci or going to Swept Away. SA has better beach (white pristine sand), and I really am a beach girl. But we'll be giving up the private beach that SS has (and the au naturel beach, which I ended up enjoying once I gave it a shot).
Read everyone's reviews on the board - that will help you make a decision. But you truly can't go wrong!

Your definition of the beach being big defines CSA or CN...CSA is longer being on 7 mile beach you can walk it for miles, CN is in the bay and isn't as long but is deeper. However, you then go on to state not too crowded or too close to other hotels which would also mean you could be happy at CTI OR CSS as none of the Couples beaches will feel crowded or feel like you are being observed by the hotel next door. Ultimately it depends on what you want from that beach. Negril is known for that gorgeous beach...the softest, white sand. At CSA you really can walk for long distances in either direction from the resort. However, both Negril resorts (CSA/CN) are on a public beach so you will have people walking past though they are required to stay at the waters edge and keep moving, they aren't allowed to stop in front of the resort and play at the beach or come up into the property. The Ocho Rios resorts (CTI/CSS) beaches are smaller and not known for that wonderful sand but the beaches are private. It just depends on the experience you are looking for, none of them will feel crowded.

What are you hoping for with the pool? Games, swimming, swim-up bar, just a dip to cool off or just the appearance? You might check out the web pages to see what really fits your description of nice big pools. CN is sort of known for it's fabulous pool but I don't know how you define "nice big".

From the FAQ page here is the scoop on room service:

ROOM SERVICEAll four resorts offer continental breakfast in your room.
Couples Sans Souci: full room service from 6am to 11pm.
Couples Negril Garden Suites and Beachfront Suites: in-room dining is offered between 6:30pm and 9:00pm; order must be placed one day in advance.

While CSA does have the most restaurants by number that is because it has the most rooms, all the Couples restaurants have the same fabulous food quality so you won't be disappointed in any of the resorts in that area. If you visit each resorts web page you can view the dining options as well as sample menus.

Each resorts offers essentially the same evening entertainment. How "rowdy" the night crowds are will vary from week to week at any resort depending on the crowd present at the time so no way to choose a resort based on that option.

The two resorts in Negril are about 5-10 minutes apart and about an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half from the airport. The two resorts in Ocho Rios are about a half hour further from the airport in the opposite direction. All this can depend on traffic through Montego Bay just as it can in any city anywhere else in the world.

For excursions you may also want to check out the web pages for each resort but again I don't think anyone here would advise you to pick your resort based on excursions. While the two in Ocho Rios do include Dunn's River Falls most of us think it's not worth chosing a resort for that option. If you feel one of those resorts is your favorite it's a nice perk but choose your resort first then think about excursions. There are things to do on both sides of the island.

View the web pages, the FAQ page and read reviews for the resorts. Ultimately one or two will start to appeal to you most. All the Couples resorts offer the same level of customer service, quality of food and they all get rave reviews so it just depends on which one seems to call to you most. Even though they are part of the same chain they are all very different in appearance and atmosphere so it's a very personal choice.

The biggest beach would be CSA, but it is on a public beach were the public can walk along the water line. For a private beach you would need to go to CTI or CSS, but they are small beaches compared to the resorts in Negril. All the resorts have plenty of chairs.

The biggest pool would be CN.

All resorts offer morning room service. CSS offers all day room service and starting in August CTI will also.

All resorts have fabulous food and a variety of restaurants.

All resorts offer nightly entertainment.

All resorts have multiple bars.

CTI and CSS are about 1 3/4 hours from the airport and CN and CSA are 1 1/2 hours from the airport. All four are worth the drive.

All resorts offer excursions, CTI offers the most.

The best sunsets can be found at CSA.

I suggest scouring the message board and look at each of the resorts. Eventually one will stand out to you. Go with that one.

-best beach (want something big with lots of chairs, not too crowded, or too close to other hotels.): in my opinion, CSA has the best beach. The water is clearer and it's on a 7 mile strip; the beaches on the Ocho Rios side are limited to what's in front of the resort (sort of a man-made beach).

-nice big pool(s): I've heard good things about the pools at CN.

-rooms (prefer room service so we can have breaskfast in bed!): I believe CSS is the only Couples that offers room service. All of them offer continental breakfast which you can have delivered though.

-proximity to airport (don't want to drive tooooo far or too long): you are looking at 1-1.5 hour ride to any of the Couples resorts, unless you want to take another flight or the helicopter ride

-proximity/inclusion of excursions (we'd like to get off the resort at least once for some kind of excursion.): there seems to be more excursions on the Ocho Rios side, especially the ones that are included in your package such as Dunn's River Falls.

We honeymooned at CTI, and if I can give you some advice, make sure you allow at least a day or two for just lounging at the resort doing nothing! We had a trip or activity scheduled for almost every day of our honeymoon, and afterwards, we felt like we didn't spend enough time just relaxing.